So this is kind of unrelated but it's been on my mind a lot and I figured this thread is as good as any:

Star Trek spoilers, I guess wrote:

Everyone who has paid even the slightest attention to me in the last week or so knows how very VERY excited I am about the new Star Trek. I'm feeling really conflicted right now because I'm really happy I finally found something fun to latch on to and help pull me out of the horrible mind-rotting funk I'd gotten into. It's just of course it had to be something that will probably be really problematic. Not only is JJ a fucking douchebag about women, like seriously every quote I've seen of him talking about ladies makes me want to vomit on his shoes but he's also a complete clod when it comes to race. He cast a pompous white dude for the role of Khan (I warned you, spoilers) and that is some fucked. up. shit. You cannot tell me there are not extremely talented ACTUALLY INDIAN actors that could have played that role. You just can't. I feel like such a privileged twit even wanting to feel good about this movie but it's been the only bright spot in a very dark part of my life and I just can't look away.

I'm frequently involved in movie racebending discussion (most recently I've been picking at the decision to have Ben Kingsley play dress-up in fake moko tattoos to play a Maori in Ender's Game) but with the right rationale I would have absolutely jumped for the chance to have Benedict Cumberbatch play as Khan. Whether or not JJ actually gets the performance I think he can out of Cumberbatch, he's pretty much the absolute perfect person to play Khan. And since Khan in this circumstance is going to be a real straightforward terrorist, there's some leeway to be given in moving that role away from a minority actor thing.

I hadn't really thought of the fact that he very well could be a straight forward terrorist. Seems a bit sketchy not giving the villain sympathetic qualities, though. Nero was totally wanting people to suffer, but I still felt for him when he explained what drove him mad. I guess it's hard to speculate without seeing it (which I will be, tonight). Even if that's the case though, I know Cumberbatch is talented and all, but it seems pretty unlikely they could couldn't have found someone actually the right race for the role who is also very talented. The argument that a PoC just can't possibly be as talented as <insert> is pretty problematic all buy itself.

I guess there isn't much more to say without seeing it first. I can still hope he'll handle race (and to a smaller extent, women) with dignity that just isn't seen in his interviews.

Alternate title, how gross objectification in the games industry restored a little bit of my faith in humanity._________________The older I get, the more certain I become of one thing. True and abiding cynicism is simply a form of cowardice.

WASHINGTON -- A sergeant first class in charge of sexual assault prevention at Fort Hood is under investigation for sexual assault, the Pentagon announced Tuesday night.

The soldier, whose name has not been released, is being investigated for abusive sexual contact, pandering, assault and maltreatment of subordinates. The soldier has been relieved of his duties at the Texas post, and no charges have yet been filed, the Pentagon said. He oversaw the program at the battalion level, a unit of about 800 soldiers.

The soldier is being investigated for, among other things, forcing a subordinate into prostitution and sexually assaulting two others, according to a Capitol Hill staffer who was briefed on the case and spoke about it on condition of anonymity.

well....clearly the guy is an expert on sexual assault._________________aka: neverscared!
a flux of vibrant matter

Alternate title, how gross objectification in the games industry restored a little bit of my faith in humanity.

LOVE!!!

On the topic of curse words and the pejorative bitch: Two parents I know where having some off color fun with their kid, curse words back and forth and all that. So the husband looks mischievouss and says "Hey kid, you are a son of a bitch." The kid starts smacking the dad for saying the bad word. Then the mom asks the kid to think about what his dad said. "*gasp* You called mom a bad word!" More slapping. Then the kid pauses and says "Wait, dad you called yourself a bad word!" Equality in the word bitch on Mother's Day.

And in other news - have we covered men's engagements rings yet?_________________Before God created Las he pondered on all the aspects a woman might have, he considered which ones would look good super-inflated and which ones to leave alone.
After much deliberation he gave her a giant comfort zone. - Michael

Joined: 09 Jul 2006Posts: 9718Location: I have to be somewhere? ::runs around frantically::

Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 5:13 pm Post subject:

I don't know. I just read this that pointed out what I was already thinking about - engagement rings (for the woman) is terribly unfeminist. (Note, this all started at this article which ShadowCell posted which is about how diamonds and the diamond industry is shit)

So I have never heard of the idea of male engagement rings. I like the idea but frankly anything more than the concept of both partners getting a ring... well, I have no details. What kind of rings are exchanged? What do you do with them during/after the wedding? I have no idea!_________________Before God created Las he pondered on all the aspects a woman might have, he considered which ones would look good super-inflated and which ones to leave alone.
After much deliberation he gave her a giant comfort zone. - Michael

Weird, I thought it was the custom these days for both people to have an engagement ring - but that isn't based on any facts at all, I just realized.

There are some other traditions, like Welsh love spoons, that were meant to show the potential bride how talented and devoted the pursuer was. I think that had a bit to do with business, showing the young man had a craft and could thus support his bride.

I prefer using an idea from that line of thinking. Rather than buy a bauble, all involved parties should showcase whatever skills they have and make an awesome thing based on the other person's passions - like a quilt, a sword, or a replica of The Enterprise from whichever series the intended likes best. Then it is about understanding and amazing your partner._________________::lesser crisis mode::